Shervin Lainez
Audio By Carbonatix
As comic book lightning scorched the Dallas skyline, thunderous applause echoed throughout the Music Hall at Fair Park, making Friday night (Nov. 28) the perfect storm.
It’s a major occasion. Talking Heads frontman David Byrne was set for the first of a two-night run in Dallas, touring his new album, Who Is The Sky?, and making his first North Texas appearance since 2018.
That last tour, for an album called American Utopia, culminated in a monthslong run on Broadway and a Spike Lee concert film of the same name. It’s a masterpiece in its own right, rivaling Jonathan Demme’s iconic Stop Making Sense, but trading the stripped-down band setup and room lamps for a pastel blue backdrop and free-flowing musicians with handheld instruments.
Who Is The Sky? takes the formula from American Utopia and supercharges it, adding a 180-degree video board display. For what American Utopia and Stop Making Sense do with so little, whether it be playing with shadows or minimalist stage design, Who Is The Sky? does with a lot, projecting interactive graphics that chart band members’ movements and blast the most topical videos.
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You might notice that we’re referring to Byrne’s studio-recorded albums and his live concert films interchangeably, and that’s because they are. When you think of Byrne, specifically Byrne, not the Talking Heads, the iconography comes just as much to mind as his songs. We recall his oversized suit and the metronomic sway of his legs and hips just as much as we do the chorus to “Psycho Killer,” and it seems like Byrne is well aware of that.
Now 73, Byrne’s live shows play like a live art gallery, as his 11-piece band moves in sequence with each other like one living musical organism. There are elements of marching band choreography, some mimicking of Byrne’s iconic moves and a whole lot of fluttering hands and gyrating hips.
It’s a multisensory shock to the system, all tightly designed by Byrne. But at times, he’s a casualty of his own creativity, in that he’s so naturally charismatic on stage that it’s difficult to keep your eyes off him instead of on the choreography and visual show.
David Byrne Performs First of Two Nights at Music Hall at Fair Park
Stop Making Sense and American Utopia play like gospel, and because of our affection for them, they created a unique phenomenon. We’re so accustomed, desensitized even, to seeing Byrne right up close and with the privilege of replaying those scenes over and over to study his every move. So when he and his band took the stage around 8:15 p.m., there wasn’t the sort of overwhelming “I can’t believe I’m really seeing [blank] with my own eyes right now” that you’d expect when seeing a historically significant pop star.
Byrne and his band entered wearing matching orange jumpsuits and sneakers, opening with a gorgeous stripped-down rendition of Talking Heads’ “Heaven,” before jumping into “Everybody Laughs,” the jovial opening track from Byrne’s new album with Ghost Train Orchestra.
It’s a perfect table setter for the album, which, while flawed and puzzling at times, still wins you over with Byrne’s relentless optimism and curiosity. Five tracks from Who Is The Sky? made it on the setlist, including Hayley Williams duet “What Is The Reason For It?” which was later followed by a cover of Paramore’s “Hard Times.” Both on the album and in person, Byrne’s voice remains remarkably strong, bellowing out lyrics with such power that some songs, like “Life During Wartime,” take on a bit of a slam poetry feel to them.
As expected, the Talking Heads songs drew the biggest reactions and bookended the evening. The set included a rare performance of 1977 megahit, “Psycho Killer,” along with a flurry of ‘80s classics like “Once In A Lifetime,” “Slipper People” and “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody).”
Simon Pruitt
After a brief encore, Byrne began to play the breakneck acoustic intro to “Burning Down The House,” which, of course, brought down the house with it. It’s still hard to believe he’s 73 years old because Byrne’s live product hasn’t aged with him, and aside from his combed white hair, he seems just as youthful as ever, too. By any metric, he remains one of the greatest live performers to ever take a stage. Don’t miss a chance to see him again tonight.
